CLINICAL STUDY: ENDOTHELIAL FUNCTION
Radiation therapy impairs endothelium-dependent vasodilation in humans
Joshua A. Beckman, MD, FACC*,
Avni Thakore, MS*,
Barbara H. Kalinowski, RN, MSN ,
Jay R. Harris, MD and
Mark A. Creager, MD, FACC*
* Vascular Medicine Section, Cardiovascular Division, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Womens Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
Department of Radiation Oncology, Brigham and Womens Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
Manuscript received May 19, 2000;
revised manuscript received October 6, 2000,
accepted November 17, 2000.
Reprint requests and correspondence: Dr. Mark A. Creager, Cardiovascular Division, Brigham and Womens Hospital, 75 Francis Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02115 mcreager{at}partners.org
OBJECTIVES
The objective of this study was to test the hypothesis that external-beam radiation induces a chronic impairment of endothelium-dependent vasodilation.
BACKGROUND
Radiation therapy is used commonly in the treatment of cancer and is associated with an increased incidence of adverse vascular events related to the field of radiation, including stroke and myocardial infarction. As endothelial injury is central to the pathogenesis of vascular diseases, we hypothesized that radiotherapy induces arterial endothelial dysfunction.
METHODS
Sixteen women with unilateral breast cancer who underwent standard external-beam radiation therapy to the breast and axilla >3 years before enrollment and ten healthy women were studied. Vascular ultrasonography was used to image both the artery exposed to radiation and the contralateral artery. Flow-mediated, endothelium-dependent vasodilation and endothelium-independent vasodilation to nitroglycerin of both axillary arteries were measured.
RESULTS
Endothelium-dependent vasodilation was significantly impaired in the irradiated axillary arteries compared with the contralateral, nonirradiated arteries (0.4 ± 0.4% vs. 3.2 ± 0.8%, p < 0.001) and also compared with control subjects arteries (0.4 ± 0.4% vs. 2.5 ± 0.6%, p < 0.001). In contrast, endothelium-independent vasodilation was greater in the arteries that received radiation compared with the contralateral arteries (3.8 ± 0.5% vs. 2.0 ± 0.4%, p < 0.05) and also compared with control arteries (3.8 ± 0.5% vs. 2.5 ± 0.4%, p < 0.05).
CONCLUSIONS
External beam radiation therapy impairs endothelium-dependent vasodilation of conduit arteries, implicating a decrease in the bioavailability of nitric oxide. These abnormalities may contribute to the development of arterial occlusive disease and associated clinical events.
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Abbreviations and Acronyms
| | BP | = blood pressure | | LDL | = low density lipoprotein | | MI | = myocardial infarction |
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